Nobody gets left behind right?
by tvfan69
Summary: Starts as an alternate ending to 'Vengeance is mine', Karai adjusts to her new family but just when things start to seem normal she unexpectedly finds herself forced to make a difficult decision, one that will effect her and most likely her family, forever.
1. Chapter 1

"Going after Shredder alone is a bad idea"

Karai was slightly startled by the unexpected sound of Leo's voice as he came down from his hiding place to meet her, none the less she wasn't completely surprised to see him.

"Don't try to stop me Leo" She warned. She didn't want to hurt him but she would if she absolutely had to.

"I want to go with you"

"What?" That had taken her by surprise; she was sure that after barely managing to rescue her once the last thing he wanted to worry about was rescuing her again.

"Your right, Shredder will never stop hunting us. The only way for us to be safe is to take him down"

"So much of my life has been about revenge, I can't ask you to risk your life to" Karai hoped that he would listen to her. She hoped he would just go back inside and let her go, but she knew he wouldn't.

"Karai, Splinter has spent the last sixteen years grieving over that fire, over losing you. You're finally back and I'm not going to let him lose you again. Shredder is the one who trained you, until you've spent a little more time training with us there isn't anything you can do to him that he won't see coming." Leo pleaded with her. He saw her determined expression turn to more of a questioning look, as right as she was she knew that he was also right, alone she couldn't win. Leo really wasn't here to stop her, just to get her to listen to reason. "Either we both go after Shredder or nobody goes, not tonight" he made sure that was clear.

Karai's shoulders slumped as she hung her head low with a sigh marching back into the lair as if she were a child who had been sent to her room. In fact her room is the exact place she went and once inside she sat there wide awake, lost in thought. The thought to try and sneak out again crossed her mind but even if Leo didn't catch her a second time she knew he was right; it was a battle from which she would not return. She realized there was only one thing to do; push the idea of revenge to the back of her mind for now, in time she would have it. But for now she would get used to her new life, it didn't seem like it would be so bad. Sitting there thinking the once lonely girl made the connection that she is now the oldest of five, with four younger brothers. Karai smiled to herself, she doesn't really know how to be a sister but there was something she had once been told about family that Leo made clear was true, nobody gets left behind.


	2. Chapter 2

It was just short of two weeks later when the turtles and Karai were out on patrol. They were sneaking into a warehouse used by the Kraang hoping to find some more information on this invasion Raph had discovered they were planning during his time in a Kraang's body. They got in easily through a skylight and watched from the rafters as two Kraang droids pushed something large with a sheet covering it over to three other Kraang droids. Whatever they were pushing had to be some type of cage and whatever was inside was screaming as if in a panic.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get down there" Raph urged looking as if he were about to go with or without Leo's agreement, as usual.

"Wait a minute Raph. We don't know what they have under there, what if it's a dangerous mutant?" Leo questioned which caused Raph to give him an annoyed look but stay.

Secretly Karai wondered why Raph was so eager to go down and help whatever was inside the cage which for the record looked to be about ten feet tall and if whatever it contained was already screaming she didn't want to know what it would sound like when it knew what was going on. Just then the Kraang stopped and removed the sheet.

"Guys its Justin!" Mikey declared in surprise when he saw the familiar mutant inside the cage.

"That's what you called him? Thought you would've come up with something a little more creative" Karai said teasing her youngest brother slightly. He only gave her a frown.

"See Raph, dangerous mutant" Leo gloated to which Raph growled at him in annoyance.

"Would guys shut up? They're saying something and more importantly, you're going to get us caught!" Donnie exclaimed growing more and more irritated by his siblings. But they listened to him and stopped whispering to each other so that they could hear what the Kraang were saying and they watched as one of them pointed what appeared to be some kind of laser gun at Justin.

"Kraang will now commence with the plan of isolating the human DNA contained in the mutant known as Justin so he may be used as a spy for Kraang" one of the robots gloated while pushing a few buttons on the machine.

"Did he just say what I think he said?" Leo questioned Donnie almost afraid of the answer. Donnie was staring down at the scene with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"Yeah, he's going to turn Justin into a human."

The five of them watched silently as the Kraang prepared their machine; Leo briefly considered stopping them but actually decided against it. Not only would it be easier to rescue Justin if he were a human but it would also be a lot easier to just let him go afterwards.

"Hey do you think they could turn us human?" Mikey questioned breaking the silence

"It doesn't matter, we're taking that thing out once they finish with Justin" Raph declared before anyone could give Mikey a real answer.

"What? Come on dudes we could be normal!" Mikey exclaimed but had to be shushed as he was raising his voice.

"Nobody other than Justin is getting hit with that machine" Leo said ending the discussion just in time for the machine to be fired.

There was a bright flash and Justin's shrieks of terror suddenly turned to the sound of the cries of a human child. The five spies on the rafters stared down at the cage that once contained the monster but now sitting in its place was a baby boy who wailed like a siren.

"Can we go down there now?" Raph asked and Leo nodded

"Yup"

So they jumped down while the Kraang were in the middle of questioning the one in charge of the machine on what happened. Raph went right for the machine, stabbing his Sai deeply into it and destroying all of the controls, much to Mikey's annoyance. It was a five on five fight which against the Kraang was easy to win considering the second you took out a robot body the little creature inside it scurried away in fear. After all the robots were beaten the five approached the cage uncertain of what they should do with the little boy.

"Mikey go get a blanket from the Shellraiser" Leo ordered, one thing they did know was that he needed some clothes but for now a blanket would do.

The poor kid was hysterical and huddling himself in the far corner of the cage as he cried. Donnie opened the door but nothing about the baby changed so the four just stood there, afraid going near him would make things worse. A few minutes after Mikey returned Justin, although still sobbing, began to calm down at least tiny bit. He glanced at the four mutants and one human staring back at him from outside the cage and began stuttering through his tears.

"Is he trying to say something?" Leo questioned as the same sound escaped the boy's mouth over and over again.

It didn't sound like anything other than baby gibberish but the effort was clear, he was trying to communicate.

"It almost sounds like he's trying to say mama" Raph remarked and Donnie's face lit up.

"Of course" he exclaimed and Karai saw it when her brother turned his head in her direction.

"What?" She demanded almost in a defensive tone, he couldn't possibly be about to suggest what she thought he was.

"You hit the button that created Justin and somehow he knows that" Donnie explained a little hesitantly.

In slight fear Karai glanced at the young boy crying for his mother, crying for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Karai wouldn't let her brother's see it but she was terrified that the child wanted her. Of course Donnie could be wrong, after all she knew better than anybody that it's perfectly normal for a frightened baby to long for its mother and here she was the only girl. Or Raph and Leo could be wrong and he may not be trying to say anything at all, regardless they weren't going to get anywhere just staring at him. She took the white blanket from Mikey and cautiously stepped into the cage, she had no experience with children.

"Hey Justin it's alright. It's ok your safe now" she said gently as she walked closer to him, she really had no idea what to do. Most people, especially at her age, have had baby cousins or baby siblings (who they lived with) or have at least been around babies but not Karai, the last time she was around a child so young was when she was that age herself, here she was relying on pure instinct.

"Shhh shhh it's alright" she continued with a warm smile. Justin continued to cry but when Karai reached for him with the blanket he didn't fight her, in fact once she had him wrapped loosely in the blanket and began to lift him from the ground and into her arms he almost stopped crying.

Fear briefly washed over her with his reaction since she could sense the reactions that her brothers behind her were giving. It hadn't even been a full two weeks but she knew them well enough, she could feel Mikey's smile, Donnie's confused look, Raph's even more confused look and Leo's expression of total shock. When she turned around she discovered that for the most part she was right and although she understood the surprising nature of the situation as well as they did she tried her best not to show that she too felt the shock.

"What do you want to just leave him here?" She asked her brothers knowing they didn't and the slightly awkwardness of the situation was lightened.

Back at the lair Donnie wanted to check Justin out in the lab to make sure he was ok. Really though the time was meant to give Karai and the rest of the guys some time to figure out what should be done with him but that all went down the drain when the little boy refused to leave his so called mother's side and she had to go to the lab with him.

"Well that machine the Kraang have apparently works, he's totally fine" Donnie said after a few tests.

"What about his parents?" Karai asked just a little hesitantly as she tried to adjust the now sleeping baby in her arms. Donnie's only response was a confused look.

"Donnie I may have hit that button but I'm not his mother, his human DNA had to come from someone" she explained and Donnie sighed.

"I don't know Karai. I can look for patterns in his DNA but without something to compare it to that's it. I might be able to put together a basic sketch but even if we did find them what would you do? He was created by accident in a lab and then turned human by aliens, not exactly something anyone other than us would believe" Donnie explained to her.

Karai understood but she took a napkin, used it to wipe some drool from Justin's chin and gave it to Donnie to analyze anyway. She still wasn't sure what they were going to do with Justin but as of right now he thought she was his mother and on the off chance he stayed here she refused to do to him what Shredder did to her, she wouldn't let him grow up believing a lie.

Donnie on the other hand really saw no point in this but analyzed the DNA anyways if it would make Karai feel better. However once he started he thought he saw something strange and took a closer look.

"What? That's impossible" he whispered to himself

"What?" Karai asked suddenly concerned that he had missed something with the other tests and there was something wrong with Justin. Donnie pulled up another file on the computer

"I've seen some of these patterns before" he began as he searched the file, he had a DNA sample from everyone in their little family just in case something ever happened, he had started keeping the files when he discovered April's DNA was needed for retro-mutagen. Finally he found what he was looking for and compared the two files before nervously turning to Karai.

"You might not like this" he said sort of fearing his sister's reaction as she stepped closer.

"What is it?" She asked more concerned than anything.

"Ok well turns out you were right Justin does have biological parents. Two samples of human DNA were poured into that mutagen tank, however one of them was yours" he said the ending very quickly and cringed but wasn't sure why. Probably because he had no idea how his sister was going to react.

She just stood there for a moment eyes a little wider than normal, how? She shook her head

"How did the Kraang even get my DNA?" She asked Donnie

"I'm thinking that when you were standing on top of the tank a piece of your hair must have fallen in" he answered and Karai released the breath she just now realized she had been holding for some unknown amount of time.

"Ok what about the other sample?" She asked still trying to get over the shock of the first one.

Just then Casey's voice rang through the lair as he neared the lab

"Donnie why did you want me to bring over some of my old baby clothes?" he called and Donnie rolled his eyes.

"As if on cue" he muttered.


	4. Chapter 4

Karai looked at Donnie who was glaring at the door with a look of dread.

"Oh please no" she said to him as if she were begging him to tell her that he was joking.

"Well on the bright side at least it's someone we know" Donnie said with a forced chuckle

"Ok new question; how did the Kraang get his DNA?" Karai demanded but Donnie only shrugged

"It was around the time April's science class was sending samples of their DNA to the world wide genome project. Which turned out to be the Kraang" Donnie answered her sheepishly and before another word could be said Casey appeared in the doorway.

The hockey player walked in and was met with the stares of the genius turtle and armored girl who in her arms held a sleeping child resting it's head on her shoulder. Somehow he didn't notice that both the turtle and the girl were practically sweating with nerves and walked in, setting his old clothes down on the table.

"If you guys had a kid here you should've sent me for diapers on the way" he remarked stopping just behind Karai to get a look at the baby's face.

"Whose kid is it anyways?" He asked. Karai glanced at Donnie who glanced at her and then at Casey.

"Casey you weren't in April's science class last year were you?" He asked awkwardly

"Yeah, why?" Casey responded.

Karai and Donnie glanced back and forth at each other again, neither of them sure how to explain this to Casey or who should do it. Finally Karai walked over to the table and with her free hand grabbed the clothes.

"I'm going to go get him dressed. Thanks for the clothes" she said really just looking for an excuse to get out of there before Donnie made her tell Casey. Speaking of which Donnie gave her the stink eye when she did this leaving him there to explain this to Casey.

"You're telling the others" he called after her as she left the lab.

"I know" she called back.

In the living room Karai found the rest of her brothers along with April and found a spot on the couch. She lay Justin down on the couch carefully so not to wake him up. She had just set him down when April came up behind her.

"Casey told me what you asked him to bring over; I thought you might need these" she said kicking a box of diapers. Karai smiled and took one from the box

"Thanks" she said, she was learning to be better at that.

The girls continued to talk as Karai changed Justin.

"So I take it the guys told you what happened?" Karai asked hoping that somehow she could lead this conversation into what needed to be told.

"Yeah, did Donnie find anything?" The red head asked and mentally Karai thanked her for unknowingly handing her the opportunity to say what she needed to.

"Actually yes he did" she started to confess. As she finished securing the diaper onto Justin he woke but didn't cry, he saw he was still with his mother and that was enough to keep him calm.

"When Justin was created two samples of human DNA were poured into that tank, one of them was mine" Karai continued, the room fell silent. Karai knew Mikey, Raph and Leo had been in earshot when she said that but now she almost wished they hadn't been. Her heart practically stopped. They already knew she was Justin's mother, technically even before she said that they knew, but if she was this afraid of what they already knew then she was about to feel fear that was much, much worse.

"What about the other sample?" April asked.

Karai took a deep breath; she looked April in the eye. Her brothers would hear and she needed them to but she almost had to pretend they weren't there in order to let his name escape her mouth.

"Casey's" she answered.


	5. Chapter 5

The lair was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. Nobody knew what to make of the situation.

"Awkward" Mikey finally said breaking the everlasting silence but he hit the nail on the head, that's exactly what the situation was. It was the most awkward situation possible; in fact it was incredibly difficult to think of a situation that could be seen as more awkward. Of course that had to be at least somewhat possible just that nobody here could do it, at least not right now.

Finally Casey emerged from the lab with Donnie and he looked like he had seen a ghost. Karai saw him and instantly she wanted to disappear. This wasn't her fault, she had done nothing wrong, nothing that she could have ever believed could put her in a situation like this but here she was caught in it. Her mind told her to run but her legs wouldn't listen and soon at least half of her mind began to realize why.

_If you run that's what they'll think you're doing! Running away!_ She mentally yelled at herself.

She hoped Casey would run, in fact she wished the DNA poured into that tank belonged to anyone but him! At least if it was some random stranger she could deal with this alone, she wouldn't have to worry about what he thought. Suddenly she wished she hadn't let Donnie tell Casey or better yet not analyzed Justin's DNA at all! This would all be so much simpler if she were just a little stupider and hadn't understood that his DNA had to come from somewhere. Karai was snapped out of her thoughts when Casey finally moved; he took a step in her direction. She saw Donnie go back into the lab and Mikey head for his room. Raph and Leo quickly disappeared themselves into the dojo and April backed up slowly, glancing to Justin still lying on the couch.

"Do you want me to take him?" She whispered to Karai thinking that just in case a fight ensued she might not want him nearby.

"Please" Karai responded so April scooped up the boy in her arms and went to join Leo and Raph in the dojo, Justin of course cried when he realized he was being taken from his mother.

Just as April got away Casey reached Karai and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off before he could even get a word out.

"Casey you don't... You can just forget everything Donnie said, this isn't your problem" Karai said to him. Ok even she knew that this was no more her problem than it was his but to be honest she didn't see Justin as a problem. But in case he did she wanted him to know that she was willing to handle it herself.

This really was awkward for the both of them; they didn't know each other very well. Sure each knew who the other was but they really hadn't said more than a few words to each other since Karai had been here.

"Wait you think I'm just going to pretend I don't know?" He questioned her not believing that she would even say that to him. The thought to walk away hadn't even crossed his mind; in fact the only unpleasant thought that had crossed his mind was how angry his dad was going to be.

"No I'm just trying to give you a choice!" Karai exclaimed hiding that she was sort of happy to hear that he wasn't going to ignore that it was his DNA that was put into that tank.

Casey nodded

"Look it's getting late, I've got to go for now. I need to go and try to explain this to my dad but I promise I'll be back tomorrow" he said and Karai nodded suddenly filled with the dread of explaining this to her own father. Still she had it easier, at least Splinter would understand the bizarre set of circumstances but she wasn't sure if Casey's dad would. He started to leave.

"Wait" she called him back almost wishing she hadn't. She had wanted to discuss this one final thing later but if she did it now it might keep him from getting in trouble with his father, he turned back around.

"What if… What if we gave him up?" Karai practically forced herself to say it. Of course she didn't want to consider giving Justin up but she had to think realistically and realistically they are both seventeen year old kids who barely know each other and are constantly putting themselves in harm's way, was keeping a baby around really the best idea? Well apparently Casey thought so because he looked at her like she had just said the unthinkable.

"Ok I get that you've had more time to think this through than I have but why would you want to do that? Weren't you adopted and miserable?" He accused clearly not thinking through what he was saying.

"Adopted? More like kidnapped!" Karai snapped unable to believe Casey would seriously bring up her past in this, especially when he knew so little about it.

"Ok I'm sorry that didn't come out right" Casey apologized to Karai who stood there with her arms folded looking very annoyed with him.

"Look we've both been through a lot tonight. Just keep him here for the night, I'll go home and face my dad then we can figure this out in the morning" he said and Karai relaxed a little hearing the sound of a reasonable plan, even if it was only for what to do for now. She nodded and Casey smiled before continuing on his way.

Once he was gone Karai tipped her head back and let out a frustrated sigh before she started walking towards the dojo wondering

_What are we going to do?_


	6. Chapter 6

It was late. Everyone else had gone off to bed hours ago but not Leo; he was still awake and watching TV. He didn't know why he wasn't tired, just one of those nights where you just can't fall asleep. Anyways it was around three in the morning when he thought he heard something and turned his head to see Karai coming from her room.

"Can't sleep either?" He asked her as she came and took a seat next to him on the couch.

"Nope and I can't stand just staring at my ceiling anymore so I thought I'd watch TV, what about you?" She asked her brother after giving her explanation, Leo just shrugged.

"I don't know I guess I'm just not tired" he answered and she nodded.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes watching Super Robo Mecha Force. Leo couldn't help but let a small grin escape his control remembering the second day Karai was here and she found the four turtles watching the show, sometimes he forgot that the cartoon originally aired in Japan in 1999. He remembered that she had joined them in watching and when Raph made a remark she explained that she loved the show when she was younger but only got to see a few episodes before it was cancelled. Looking at his sister now he almost laughed seeing that she was so focused on the show.

"So what's keeping you up?" Leo finally asked causing Karai to let out a sigh and lean back into the couch.

"Justin" She answered in a frustrated voice.

"Really, I've been out here all night and haven't heard him?" Leo said questioningly, wanting to know how he hadn't heard the baby crying if he had been up but Karai chuckled a little, indicating that her problem was not what he thought.

"No he's asleep" she began but the small smile on her face faded away.

"It's just that I don't know what to do" she confessed and Leo sighed.

"Well I'm not much of a parent but you'll figure it out. Besides it's not like you're alone. Casey said he's going to stick around and you've always got us-" Leo began to tell her but she cut him off.

"No, no I mean I don't know if I should keep him or not" she clarified.

Leo only looked at her for a minute. Ok so maybe the thought that she wouldn't keep Justin should have crossed his mind but it just hadn't.

"Why wouldn't you?" He finally managed to ask. Karai gave a sigh in response as if she were thinking, maybe she was.

"I'm not much of a parent either but I do know that you're supposed to do what's best for your kid" she answered.

"And you think that giving Justin up is what's best for him?" Leo asked truly wondering about the answer. She was making it sound like that was what she believed but they were a family. They had all gone through so much both together and in order to be together. Was she really going to separate one of them from the rest?

"I don't know" Karai confessed leaning forward once again and placing her head in her hands.

Leo felt sorry for his sister, he really did. He knew the feeling of a difficult decision when it came to family. When he first found out who she really was he was shocked. There is no better word to describe it, what he felt that day was complete and utter shock. Finding out of course had left him with the decision on whether or not to tell her. He had spent night after night mulling it over. Of course in his heart he always wanted to tell her, he had thought that if she knew maybe she would come to their side, and he was right. But still he had hurt him to tell her, to shatter everything she ever knew. From the moment he found out he knew it would hurt and now he hated to see Karai like this, her decision eating away at her, like his had done to him.

"I want to keep him, I really do. But… what if Shredder ever found him?" She questioned Leo.

Karai waited for his answer but she understood if she didn't get one. Truth be told she had spent the last few hours trying to think of just one reason not to give up Justin. But everything she thought of was either just another reason to give him up or something that obviously didn't matter. First there was something as stupid as the overall embarrassment factor, but she quickly realized that based on the world she lives in, and the fact that this is New York City of all places; a teenaged girl giving a baby up for adoption wouldn't raise any questions other than if she was sure. But then there was the fact that Justin isn't a newborn. He's a year and a half old and looks it. In fact Donnie said he's only slightly smaller than normal but would probably grow out of that in time given that both Karai and Casey are tall for their age. But Karai had a solution for that problem too if she gave him up, she could simply pass herself off as someone who tried to be a mother and failed. Then there was the more serious issue of what to do with him while she was out on patrol. She couldn't bring him along and half the time Casey tagged along so he couldn't stay with him, and what if something happened to her? Or to Casey? Constantly fighting the Kraang and foot clan someone was bound to get hurt eventually. Finally that thought had brought her to Shredder. It was bad enough the he was after her but if he ever found out about Justin. Suddenly Karai realized that not only had a few tears escaped her control but Leo still hadn't answered her. She wiped her eyes and stood up.

"I'm going to bed" she said with a sniffle and turned to walk away.

"No Karai" Leo said as if he were sorry for something but she began walking so he said the only thing he could think of.

"Karai what are you going to do? Even if you do give Justin up what about after that? Are you going to never have kids because you're afraid of Shredder finding them?" Leo questioned and she stopped halfway to her room, she hadn't thought that far ahead.

"We'll take him down someday" she responded turning her head slightly.

"But you don't know when." Leo countered.

"It's been sixteen years since the fire, almost seventeen. The Kraang have been out there since maybe the beginning of time and they're still plotting." Leo continued and Karai didn't face him, but he knew she was listening.

"You're right we will defeat Shredder someday, but it might be a long time from now. If you think giving Justin up is the right thing then maybe it is but don't do it just because you're afraid of Shredder, don't let him be what splits up this family again."

Karai wouldn't let him see but she bit her lip as his words caused tears to stream down her face. She wasn't one to cry but the lack of sleep combined with the decision about the fate of a family member, technically her child no less, was enough to make her lose most of her control and she walked quickly back to her room then cried as quietly as possible.


	7. Chapter 7

Karai may have gone back to her room but she didn't go to sleep. She just couldn't. Leo's words kept repeating themselves over and over in her head. She glanced at Justin laying on the floor sound asleep, his head resting on the spare pillow and his blanket draped over him. Despite his mother's soft crying he didn't wake but she almost wished he would. At least if he were to wake up she would be forced to stop crying. Karai hated to cry, it didn't accomplish anything. Then again maybe that was the exact reason she should've stayed in the living room. She hated crying so she never did it but if she had let Leo see her like this, let him see that her heart had basically been split into two over this decision, oh forget it! She didn't even know what she wanted him to tell her, or what she had expected him to. She just wished she knew. That was the bottom line; she just wished she knew what to do with Justin.

* * *

By six in the morning Karai once again had become fed up with just sitting around doing nothing so she decided to get dressed. She didn't have many clothes apart from her armor but April's cousin Natalie was leaving for college in the fall and had decided to get rid of a bunch of clothes in order to save space so she had gotten some stuff from her. Karai had to admit that she wasn't a huge fan of the clothes but anything was better than the black clothes and armor she used to wear, which now she only wore when out on patrol. Anyways she grabbed some jeans and a pink t-shirt from the bag Natalie had given her and changed out of the black gym shorts and tank top she had worn to bed. She got dressed and did her make-up then was about to leave when she glanced back at Justin, who now lay on his back just fidgeting around with his eyes open. Karai giggled a bit knowing she would've thought him still asleep had she not turned to check.

"Last night you wouldn't leave my side now you were going to just let me leave you in here?" She teased the little boy playfully as she went to pick him up. Going into the dojo last night he had still been crying until she got there and took him from April, then he finally began to calm down.

Karai couldn't really blame Justin for only wanting his mother, even if that technically was her. God only knows what he's been through and now he's in a place he doesn't know with people he doesn't know and he's been turned into a human as opposed to the mindless monster he once was. Karai almost stopped in her tracks when leaving the room with the baby as she thought of this, finally one reason not to give him up. She really didn't want to put him through any more fear. But her mind quickly countered with the reasoning that if he stayed the fear of losing his family would always be present. Karai shook her head and continued into the living room but in that moment she made one decision, she would decide what to do with Justin by tonight.

* * *

"ENOUGH!" The Shredder bellowed at Rahzar when the mutant canine practically tried to maul the Kraang droid standing before them.

The Kraang had come to give Shredder information he had requested but when the exact purpose of the machine which was destroyed last night came up Rahzar hadn't been too happy.

"You could have turned me human again!?" The dog demanded furiously as he reluctantly obeyed his master and did not attack.

"Kraang's machine failed before the ones known as the turtles destroyed it. The machine turned the one known as Justin into what is known as a baby" the robot explained without any fear, or any other emotion for that matter, in its voice.

Shredder on the other hand saw opportunity in this.

If the monster had been transformed into a young child then the turtles would not have just abandoned him. Most likely they brought him back to their lair and he is still with them. But sooner or later they would bring him back to the surface and when they did he would take the child. Shredder grinned evilly under his mask, his plan would need to be adjusted but it would still work, he would still have his vengeance.


	8. Chapter 8

Casey walked a little slower than usual as he made his way to the manhole cover him and April use to enter the lair. He was amazed that his father had let him leave the house this morning; he had been so mad last night. Actually mad was what he had been when Casey told him about Justin, furious was what he became when he found out how old Justin is. As if it wasn't bad enough that Casey had been forced to tell his father he had a son (and since his father doesn't know about the turtles he was under the impression that Casey had done something extremely stupid) but he also believed that he had just abandoned Karai and Justin for over a year. Thankfully Casey had been able to tell him that he didn't know until now, which was true. In fact that was probably the reason his father had let him leave, no matter what Karai said he wasn't going to ignore this. As he approached the manhole cover and saw that no one was around to see he went down into the sewers, his mind now on what Karai had said as he left last night.

_"__What if… What if we gave him up?"_

At the time he couldn't believe she had said that and even still he hated the thought of it. It really was a difficult position, he still didn't think it was the best idea but he could see why she thought it was. He took his time getting to the lair, trying to think of things he could say to talk Karai out of giving Justin up.

* * *

Karai took a deep breath before entering the dojo, a part of her didn't want to start this conversation with her father considering there was still so much she didn't know; and one thing she was afraid of finding out. But still she had to do this. If anyone could help her with this decision it was him. She took a step into the dojo where she saw Splinter meditating and for a split second considered bolting before he even knew she was there but she didn't and of course he knew she was there.

"What is it that troubles you my daughter?" He asked her opening his eyes.

Karai sighed and went to kneel before her father.

"Father when I was born… Did you know that Shredder was after you?" She asked hoping he wouldn't tell her the one thing that she was terrified of him saying, that she had been a mistake.

She didn't know why she feared that so much, it wouldn't change anything. Her father still loved her and besides all four of her brother's and Justin had been created by accident and they were loved just the same. She figured it had to be because having been raised by Shredder more often than not she believed she had been an accident and now that she knew Splinter was her real father, she just didn't want that one part of Shredder's lies to be true.

This time it was Splinter who sighed, he knew his daughter was facing a difficult choice and after what the Shredder did to her, to all of them, he could understand why.

"Yes, I did. I had no idea he was willing to go so far but I knew that our war was far from finished" he confessed to her. In her eyes he could see what he saw the first day she spent here after being rescued, after he told her the story. It was what he saw after her rage had subsided, she wasn't exactly angry but she didn't understand.

"Then why was I born?" She asked suddenly almost hoping she had been an accident, she just couldn't understand. She loved her father and she loved that he had still allowed her to come home after everything she did, Shredder never would have.

But suddenly a small part of her was angry with both him and her mother. How could they do that? How could they have had her knowing that Shredder was out there looking to kill her father? How could they have had her knowing there was a good chance she would grow up without her father? In that instant she became convinced that giving up Justin was the right decision. She couldn't do that to him. She wouldn't keep him knowing there was a good chance something would happen to her and he would be forced to grow up in a broken family.

"You were born because your mother and I wanted to start our family" Her father said it like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"But you knew you were in danger! You knew something could have happened! You knew I could've lost you" she exclaimed catching her rising voice at the end and softening it before she started yelling. She wasn't about to actually let herself become angry with her parents for having her.

Splinter put a paw on his daughter's shoulder

"I understand that you are concerned for your child, your mother and I faced the same concerns with you. But throughout all history children have come into the world during difficult times, it is what gives their families a reason to keep fighting." He said to her and she bowed her head before getting to her feet.

"Thank you father" she said before exiting the dojo, now she was sure.


	9. Chapter 9

When Casey finally did make it to the lair he found Karai sitting on the floor in front of the couch playing with Justin. She didn't seem to notice him so he took a seat on the couch behind her.

"Hey" he said sounding nervous

"Hey" she responded turning around to face him.

"How did things go with your dad?" Karai questioned both trying to make conversation and because she really was curious.

"Well I'm still alive" Casey answered with a chuckle which caused Karai to laugh just a little

"That's good" she said and that was when Justin decided to butt into the conversation.

The boy was still trying to grasp the concept of crawling but he was getting better, he used his arms but couldn't seem to figure out what to do with his legs. Anyways he grabbed onto Karai's leg in an attempt to pull himself into his mother's lap as if to remind her that he was still here.

"So um do you… do you still want to give him up?" Casey asked nervously but much to his surprise Karai's answer wasn't what he had expected.

"Actually no" she said but then seemed to remember the awkwardness of the situation.

"But if you do I-" she began only to be cut off by Casey waving his hands back and forth as he talked

"No, no I don't." He said so happy she changed her mind. He didn't know what convinced her but he didn't care, they would keep Justin. With that established an awkward silence once again set in between the two as each silently but desperately tried to think of something to say.

"So hey, April and me are going to the movies tonight, do you want to come?" Casey asked finally breaking the silence.

Karai didn't answer at first, mostly because she was getting tired of Justin pulling on her as he continuously failed to crawl into her lap so she finally took pity on the kid and helped him. But Casey and April never ask her to hang out with them on the surface, despite the fact that she and April have become pretty good friends. She couldn't help but frown.

"Ok I realize that there is now a reason for us to talk to each other but nothing between you and me has changed, we don't have to be friends" she told him kind of annoyed that Justin was probably the only reason he was asking her.

"If you don't want to go that's fine but I just thought you might want to get out of here for a few hours" Casey responded almost as annoyed as Karai who scoffed when he said this.

"And why does that suddenly matter to you?" She asked narrowing her eyes. Of course she wanted to get out of here for a few hours but she has been stuck down here for the past two weeks and it hasn't mattered to him. Something in the back of her mind was screaming at her to shut up before she made things worse, maybe because she already felt bad about saying they didn't have to be friends.

That had come out wrong. Her Casey didn't have much in common, at least not that she knew of, but she had liked believe that sooner or later she would be able to consider him a friend. However she didn't want Justin to be what made them friends; she didn't want to feel like they were friends because they had to be. And that's what she felt Casey was doing to her. He was being nice to her because now he had no choice but to be on speaking terms with her and he thought if they were friends obviously that wouldn't be so bad.

"It matters to me because you saved Justin from the Kraang, you dealt with him while Donnie ran the tests, you dealt with him all night and you dealt with him this morning. I thought maybe you would want a break from the kid!" Casey exclaimed but Karai rolled her eyes and grunted as she stood up still holding the baby who was staying surprisingly quiet, probably anxious to see how this would turn out.

"You want to give me a break? Then take him to your house!" Karai exclaimed as Casey also got to his feet, prepared to leave with or without his son.

"If you want me to I will!" He almost shouted and without another word Karai handed Justin over to him and stormed off to her room. Leaving Casey standing bewildered at what had just happened.

* * *

Against his initial thoughts of staying at the lair and trying to talk to Karai one more time before leaving Casey did as he said he would and left the sewer with Justin, who of course began to cry upon leaving.

"Remind me to get one of those pacifier things for you" Casey muttered as he walked home with the wailing child.

The farther away he got from the lair the angrier he became. He was trying to be nice, trying to help and what did she do? Yell at him! She said that they don't have to be friends, so what does she want to do? Just hand Justin back and forth and ignore each other whenever they're in the same room? Ok even Casey knew that was pretty irrational but still. It was a poorly timed offer, he would admit that. He doesn't know much about Karai but he doubted that she had much of a social life growing up with Shredder and she had spent every day in the sewers since coming home, he probably should have asked her to hang out on the surface sooner. Casey sighed upon realizing that it shouldn't have taken something like Justin to get him to try and get to know her. In fact the more he thought about it the more he realized that he and Karai probably have more in common than they know. After all she's a villain turned hero and well he always thought that if he wanted to he could be a pretty good bad guy. She had also once taken a look at his textbook while he and April were studying and commented that she didn't understand how they could even read those math problems, something he sometimes couldn't do. Casey sighed; yeah he probably should've tried to be her friend before. If anything it would have made this situation easier.

* * *

Tiger Claw growled from the roof where he was watching. He didn't care about being out in the daytime, in fact he found it rather amusing if a human saw him and ran screaming. Anyways he knew his mission; bring the child back to Shredder alive. What he hated about it was that it was Casey Jones he saw with the child. He wanted his revenge on that boy so badly but no, he would need to be alive in order to lead the turtles to Shredder. Without another moment's hesitation Tiger Claw leapt from the roof and landed in the street right in front of his enemy.


	10. Chapter 10

Karai glanced at the caller I.D. on her phone almost with disgust, why was he calling her?

"Hello" she answered surprised by how little annoyance was actually in her voice.

"Tiger Claw…. Attacked me…. He… He got Justin" Casey said on the other end panting as if he were out of breath.

Karai's eyes widened. This is exactly what she had been afraid of. All of her annoyance with Casey seemed to evaporate into thin air as she realized that even if she wanted to it was too late to give up Justin now, Shredder has him.

"Ok where are you?" She asked

"By Antonio's" Casey answered as Karai quickly changed into her armor; most likely she was going to need it.

"I'm on my way" she then hung up the phone as she bolted out of her room and nearly knocked Mikey over on her way out.

"Whoa slow down, where are you going?" Leo asked from the couch upon seeing her leaving in such a hurry.

"Shredder's got Justin I'm going after him" she answered as she caught her breath. Leo just stared at her for a second, trying process the information.

"We're coming to" he said hurrying to the exit where she was standing but Karai stopped him.

"No, you guys can't be seen you can't go out in the daylight" she reminded them but Raph approached the two already drawing his Sai's.

"Shredder has Justin, your son. We're not going to let him take one of our own. Not again" he said and although Karai wouldn't say it that meant a lot coming from Raph. It was no secret that it took A LOT of convincing from the other's to persuade him into helping rescue her and that he is still warming up to her. So to hear him say not again, to refer to her as one of their own; it meant a lot.

"I appreciate that but I'm not letting you blow your secret over something I can handle" she argued to which Leo was about to challenge when they were interrupted.

"Yame!" Splinter's voice stopped the argument cold, which had been his intention. He walked closer to his quarreling children.

"Karai is right" he said to them and all three of them gave a confused look, even Karai.

"You boys cannot risk being seen by a human" he continued only for Raph's confusing to turn to anger.

"But Sensei she can't take on Shredder by herself!" He exclaimed. He didn't care about people seeing him; he wasn't going to let his sister face the Shredder of all people alone.

"She will not be alone. She will have Casey with her" he said not that that made anybody feel any better about it; Casey isn't exactly ready to face Shredder either. Splinter looked to his daughter

"Go. Save your child from the Shredder" he said to her and she would've bowed her head to obey but even Karai knew that she might not come back so she hugged him.

"This is not goodbye my child. I will see you again" he said as he returned the hug then let her go and she ran off.

Once Karai was out of sight Splinter turned his attention to his two oldest sons still standing there

"If she is not back by nightfall, then we go after her" he said to them.

Meanwhile on the surface Karai allowed herself to slap Casey upon seeing him.

* * *

"You had Justin for ten minutes and you lost him to Tiger Claw?" She demanded before he could ask what she was slapping him for, of course he probably had a pretty good idea.

"Ow! It's not like I just let him take him, I fought back until I lost conciseness!" He exclaimed rubbing his cheek.

"So what's the plan?" He asked wondering how exactly just the two of them were going to face Shredder.

"Simple we sneak in and get Justin" Karai said

"Yeah I'm sure they won't be expecting that" Casey said sarcastically but of course Karai already knew they would be and had a backup plan.

Across the street from foot headquarters Karai and Casey hid behind the wall of a nearby building. Foot bot's stood at every entrance ready to attack any intruder.

"So much for sneaking in" Casey mocked but without a word Karai sent throwing stars right into the heads of each robot out front then moved from their hiding spot.

"Come on" she whispered so Casey fallowed but when they got to the entrance Karai opened the door only to see Rahzar standing before her.

"Master Shredder has been waiting for you" he said before forcing the two teenagers inside, not that they put up a fight.

They knew that he was going to bring them to Shredder and that was exactly who they were here to see so they played along.

The whole way up to Shredder's throne room Karai was lost deep in thought. Not about where she was, not about the revenge she wanted on Shredder, but about Justin.

_Shredder has Justin, your son._

Raph's words had been nagging at her ever since he said them. It wasn't just him either; Splinter had twice now referred to Justin as her child but truthfully she hadn't been thinking of it that way. Of course ever since they rescued him she had been caring for him as a mother would and was aware that was exactly what he saw her as but she had been so concerned with giving him up, with trying not to get used to having him around and with thinking that in the end she would give him up, that she had never even to herself called him her son, which he was. She was snapped out of her thoughts when they finally reached the entrance to the throne room. Rahzar opened the door and forced the two teenagers inside, where Shredder stood waiting for them. Both Casey and Karai noticed Justin sitting in an old playpen on the right-hand side of the throne staring at them, his eyes begging them to save him.

"Leave us Bradford" Shredder demanded so the mutant dog bowed his head and left closing the doors behind him.

The room was quiet except for the small sound of Justin once again attempting to call for his mother.

"Let. My son. Go." Karai demanded. Her voice was ice cold and dead serious but she remained calm, she knew that Shredder wanted her to fight because he knew he could beat her and then use her as bait. If she didn't fight then at least for now her family would be safe.

"The child is not yours" Shredder said to her but Karai smirked, she knew something he didn't.

"Actually he is. I pressed the button that created him" she explained but Shredder only laughed in her face.

"And you think such a thing makes you his mother?" He demanded but Karai only rolled her eyes, she didn't have time to explain what happened with the DNA samples right now.

"However if you want the child you may take him. IF you reveal to me the location of Splinter" Shredder bargained but Karai wouldn't do it, she hated it but she would have to enact her backup plan.

"I've got another deal for you" she said before glancing at Casey, who was standing there with a look of fear on his face.

"Hand Justin over to him and I'll go back to the dungeon" she offered.

Now that seemed to catch Shredder off guard, clearly he hadn't been expecting Karai to be willing to sacrifice her freedom for her son but it also shocked Casey. But then again now he understood why she had let him come along. It wasn't because Justin was his child too or because she was mad and wanted to see him get hurt, but because she knew she wouldn't be returning and someone needed to get Justin home.

"Karai" Casey said in a pleading voice putting a hand on her shoulder but she shook it off and walked halfway across the room, closer to Shredder.

"I'll never try to escape, I'll never try and contact anybody, just let my son go and I'll be your prisoner" she continued. Yes this was exactly what she was afraid of; her child would have to grow up without her. But her mother had died protecting her, her freedom was a considerably small price to pay compared to that.

After a minute that felt like a lifetime Shredder went and removed the child from the playpen and handed him to Karai.

"Give him to your friend and do not run" he instructed coldly before she could even think on going back on her promise.

Holding Justin tightly she walked slowly back to Casey as she tried to hide her tears. Silent now Justin looked up at her in confusion as if he knew what was happening but didn't want to believe it. Before letting him go Karai kissed her baby's forehead then handed him to Casey who was almost hesitant to take him.

"Karai" he tried one more time but she raised her head to look at him and he stopped.

Her eyes were watering, her lip was trembling and her face had already turned a dark red color. He wanted so badly to tell her it was going to be ok, that he would tell the guys what happened and they would rescue her but he knew he couldn't. If they tried to rescue her she wouldn't come, as long as she was imprisoned here no matter what happened to the rest of them Justin would be kept alive. So with a sigh Casey left and the moment he was gone Karai felt Shredder's hand on her shoulder. Not a comforting hand but a hand which turned and pushed her towards the door to the staircase which led down to the dungeon.


	11. Chapter 11

After only a few hours Xever thought he was going to lose his mind. Since she promised not to escape Shredder figured he didn't need Tiger Claw to guard Karai however he wasn't stupid enough to leave her down there alone so he had assigned Xever to guard duty. At first Xever thought that the obvious insult of the job was the worst part, until he actually got down there. He was standing outside of the actual prison chamber and he could still hear Karai, the girl had been screaming bloody murder since Shredder locked her up. Finally he just couldn't take it anymore, she was completely alone yet she sounded as if she were being tortured. With a grumble he walked into the small room which contained three prison cells, only one of which was occupied. Karai was on her knees, doubled over with her arms across her stomach and tears streaming violently down her face. She knew he was there but paid no attention and continued to cry without caring about how loud she was being or how long she had been going.

"Would you shut up? I can barely hear myself think!" Xever shouted at her very annoyed. He hadn't heard anybody cry like this since he was a child, and the person crying was five years old!

Karai began choking on her tears as if she were trying to stop but her body wouldn't allow her, she may have to rot in here but she doesn't have to do what they ask of her. Finally after a few minutes of choking and hyperventilating she tried to speak

"Sor-ar-sorry" she choked only to once again break out into more tears, Xever growled at the pathetic sight before him.

"What is your problem? You are alive, those mutants you call a family are alive for now and that boy you pretend is your child is alive, you have nothing mourn" he spat at her but she looked up at him.

Tears still clouded her eyes but now there was something else contained in them. It wasn't anger like he would have expected from her, it was more like a plea; a plea for him to understand why she was hurting so much. Finally she reached out and grabbed the bars of her cell and pulled herself to her feet.

"Justin was created by the Kraang pouring DNA into a tank… my… my DNA was… was put… put in" she explained stuttering through her sobs.

Xever watched as Karai dropped back onto her knees as if she no longer had the strength to stay on her feet. She was now a bit calmer but she wouldn't meet his eyes anymore. She clenched her hands into two tight fists; he wanted to know what her problem was? Her problem was that she had just gotten home and now she was never going back! Her problem was that she is never going to see her family again! Her problem was that Shredder had actually managed to do something worse than stealing her from her family; he forced her to leave them willingly. Xever sighed with annoyance but left and when he did Karai practically fell over when she went lay down on the cold dirt floor of the prison, completely broken.

* * *

One in the morning and Justin still wouldn't sleep, not that Casey blamed him. The little boy kept crying and there was nothing that could be done, all he wanted was his mother. Casey thought about taking him to the lair but figured that it would only make things worse, to bring him there and have Karai not be there. Telling the others had been one of the hardest things he ever had to do, in fact the only thing harder was watching Karai say goodbye to Justin. He wished he could've done something, anything. If only Shredder would've taken him instead of Karai, Justin barely knew that he was his father but he was perfectly aware of Karai being his mother, he was used to her and would've been better off with her instead of him. Still Justin did seem to have some sort of understanding of Casey being his father, after all when they got back to the lair the little boy had refused to let anyone else hold him and hadn't put up a fight when Casey went to bring him back to his place. So now Casey sat there on his bed holding the whimpering child, thinking about when he told the other's what happened. What Splinter had said

"Sensei?" Leo had asked when his father said nothing in response to Casey's news and the turtle's agreement that Shredder had broken the last straw.

"We must be careful in our actions but you boys are right; it is time we take down the Shredder"

Casey whipped away the tears of his crying son and smiled  
"don't worry, we'll get her back"

And he knew that they would but he could only hope that it would be soon and not a year from now.

* * *

When morning came in the prison Xever brought the food he was used to bringing Karai from before and waited for her to comment on how she hated it, but instead she just continued to stare at the ground. She made no motion to take the food, no sign that she was going to say something and really no sign that she even noticed him there. So he left and didn't return until that evening to bring her the same thing for dinner and took the empty bowl from before.

"I'm surprised, I didn't think you would actually eat it" Xever commented although it wasn't because he knew she hated it but because after last night he thought the girl might try and starve herself.

Karai only shrugged in response. Xever was really starting to worry about her; the two of them had never been friends but she clearly wasn't herself anymore. After all he had never once seen her cry no matter what threat Shredder made against her and yet last night she cried for hours. And on top of that every time he came in here she was staring at the ground like she was in a trance, unmoving and looking at nothing. He walked away without another word.

Back at the lair Leo found himself looking at the clock for maybe the hundredth time that day. He just wanted this day to end, this first day with Karai gone. Nobody had really done anything today but mope around like she was dead. They didn't train and nobody saw Splinter at all, he was locked away in his room meditating. Mikey didn't turn off the TV once but it seemed that wrapping himself up in a world where everything always turned out ok was the only way he could cope with the hopefully temporary loss of his sister. Donnie had been in the lab all day but when Leo talked to him he said he wasn't really having luck concentrating. Even Raph spent most of the day in his room and only came out a few times but soon went back. As for Leo he had pretty much done the same as Raph, he hardly slept last night because he was too upset and then today he pretty much just walked back and forth from his room to the living room. April had stopped by for a little while but upon seeing that there was nothing she could do she found an excuse to leave. Casey didn't come by at all but nobody could blame him, he had his own problems. Without Karai he was left to take care of Justin alone, of course they would always be around and so would April but it wasn't the same; until they defeated Shredder Justin was without his mother and nobody could make that any better.

* * *

A week passed and still Karai said nothing so one day Xever went in there in the middle of the afternoon.

"What do you want?" Karai demanded; her voice filled with hatred and hostility. She knew it was too early for supper but the fish hadn't brought any food with him anyways so this couldn't be good.

"I want to talk to you" Xever answered so Karai waited for him to say something, what could he possibly want to talk to her about?

"Why did you make this deal with Shredder? You're miserable in here!" He questioned and waited for Karai to tell him she had her reasons or that it's none of his business.

Karai on the other hand wasn't surprised in the least by his question. She knows that Xever is a lot of things, and selfish is one of them.

"I may be miserable but my son is safe" she answered him but judging by his face he still didn't understand, which also didn't surprise her.

"Xever did you ever have any kind of family?" She asked. She knew he had grown up on the streets but still there has to have been someone, a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a cousin or even a friend. He has to at one point have loved someone.

"I had a brother" he grunted wondering just why she wanted to know. Karai smirked

"If he was in danger, what would have done?" She questioned but Xever only sighed.

"He disappeared one night when I was ten years old. A week later his girlfriend and me found out he had been arrested, I haven't seen him since" he confessed. Karai's face softened with sorrow.

"What about the girlfriend?" She questioned wondering what had happened to her.

"I grew apart from her over time, she tried to look out for me but without my brother she had no reason to help me, I did her a favor and ran away" he confessed and Karai nodded with a slight frown, Xever clearly didn't know it but what he did probably hurt that girl more than it helped her.

"But your brother being gone didn't make her stop wanting to protect you. She loved you like you were family and when it comes to family no matter what you have to do you don't leave anybody behind, that's why I'm here; because I wasn't about to leave Justin behind" Karai explained but Xever only growled.

"Your family left you behind" he snapped trying to prove her wrong but she frowned

"There was nothing they could do" she said and with that Xever left grumbling.

* * *

As the weeks passed things in the lair slowly started to return to a sense of normalcy; training resumed and everyone started to move on from what had happened. Mikey was laughing again and Donnie was back to work on the robot he had made the sketch of after finding out about the Kraang's plans for another invasion. Casey started coming over again and therefor he brought Justin with him. The first day back at the lair was hard on him; he finally got crawling down so he kept crawling over to the doorway of Karai's room and trying to get in but eventually he accepted that his mother wasn't coming home.

* * *

However as the weeks passed at the foot headquarters on the other side of the city guard duty became more difficult for Xever with every passing day. It wasn't that Karai was being difficult; in fact she still hadn't said one mocking thing to him since being there. But every day when he brought her breakfast he was forced to look at the depressed girl sitting there staring at the ground, no doubt thinking about her little boy at home, learning to get along without her. He had hoped that he would get used to the sight and it would get easier to look at but instead it only grew harder. Every so often he would ask what she wanted for food but she only shrugged and muttered that she didn't care. One day he did bring her what she asked of him that day she escaped with the turtles and she muttered a thank you as he left the room. Apart from that she never said anything and everyday his conscious tore away at him more and more, this poor girl who had spent her childhood being raised by someone as cold and heartless as the Shredder had finally found a place where she was loved only to be forced to rip herself away from it.

"I'm willing to bet she still loves you" Karai said to him one day as he was leaving the prison chamber. He stopped for a second and turned halfway

"Your brother's girlfriend" she clarified but Xever shook his head.

"I ran away from her, I told her to leave me alone" he explained

"I tried to kill my father, more than once. If he forgave me for that than someone who once thought of you as a brother will forgive you for shutting her out" she said but he left.

His brother's old girlfriend was another thing that was on his mind lately. She would be so disappointed if she could see him now. She had always seen the best in people and always done the right thing, they were all street children but she would always beg for food before stealing it. It was just one day shy of a month when Xever finally decided he couldn't take it anymore, something had to be done.

Karai snapped awake when the door to the prison chamber opened earlier than usual and sat up as Xever opened her door. She just sat there staring at him while he stared back as if waiting for her to dart out.

"Is this some kind of test?" She finally asked

"No you are being let go" he answered but she only gave him a surprised and puzzled look, Shredder would never set her free.

"Shredder is still hunting your family, your son included. He will win but he still hopes you will forgive him one day. I told him that so long as you are here you never will so he has agreed to grant you your freedom" her guard for the past almost month explained but she was still surprised. Nevertheless she slowly got to her feet; she would've done so a lot faster if she wasn't so unsure about what was happening but she walked out of the cage without having it slammed back in her face like she thought it might be. She stopped for a moment after exiting the cell and turned to Xever.

"If I were you I'd get out of here before Shredder changes his mind" he said closing the door to the now empty cell. By the time he turned around she was gone.

* * *

It was early morning in the lair but everyone was already up and eating breakfast. Casey had come by early since he had hockey practice in the morning and needed the guys to watch Justin. But before he left he decided to take another try at teaching his son, who had now mastered crawling, how to walk. The kid was getting better at standing and held onto his father's fingers as he tried to take a step, which as usual did not happen. But as Casey stood there bent over he thought he heard something, footsteps. They were moving fast but before he could even alert the guys she came into sight and jumped the gate into the lair, Karai had come home.

"What? Karai?" Casey asked in confusion as she jumped down into the pit and landed on her feet only for a split second before hitting her knees right in front of him as he let go of Justin who grabbed right onto his mother's shoulders as she threw her arms around him.

By now the four turtles had seen her rushing in and hurried from the breakfast table to the living room. Karai stood up as they got there, still holding Justin who for now she had no intentions of letting go.

"Aw yeah Karai's home!" Mikey exclaimed rushing to hug her and she laughed when he wound up lifting her off the ground in excitement.

"But how?" Leo asked as Mikey put her down. It's not that he wasn't happy to see her but it had been hard enough for her to get out the first time with all four of them helping her, how had she managed to escape on her own?

"Did you escape?" Casey asked remembering she had sworn to Shredder that she wouldn't, although knowing Shredder he probably was still going to kill Justin if he ever got the chance and Karai knew it.

Karai shook her head at his question

"No he let me go" she told them. Now that surprised everyone.

"He let you go?" Leo asked in total confusion and Karai nodded.

"I don't understand it either but he did" she said

"He probably sent foot bots fallowing you" Raph said angrily as usual suddenly upset that Karai had done what Shredder wanted and come home.

"No I wasn't fallowed, I made sure of that" she said and it was true, getting here she had run about ten extra blocks and hidden for a few minutes in about three different abandoned buildings. Not to mention she had watched the foot headquarters for as long as it was in her sights and saw no one other than herself leaving. She would never forgive Shredder for what he did to her, so she would never understand why he let her go but he did and that's all that matters.

* * *

"Master Shredder Karai has escaped!" Tiger Claw's voice came booming through the throne room

"WHAT?" Shredder demanded. It was impossible, they had a deal and Karai knew better than to break a deal with him.

"She did not escape, I let her go!" Xever's voice claimed and Shredder turned to the fish enraged, he seemed to shrink into himself.

The blade armored man came down from his throne and approached his mutant henchman. He had half a mind to chop him up right now and feed him to Tiger Claw. Xever looked at his furious master filled with fear as he waited for the worst but instead of hurting the cowering fish Shredder came to a halt before him.

"The next time you fight the turtles in battle you will either come back with a carcass or as one" he said to Xever who nodded in fear.

* * *

That afternoon Karai pulled the blanket over Justin after he finally fell asleep for his nap. She was just leaving her room when he started grunting and she turned back, he wasn't crying it's just that he can't talk so it was his way of calling for her. She went back and knelt beside him then bent over and kissed his head. She placed a hand on the side of his face

"Shush its ok, mama's home" she whispered to him in a gentle voice before standing up to leave again. For a moment she just stood there smiling, she always wondered if she would ever be capable of being a mother and just last month she had been trying to figure out how to be a sister. Now she was both and finally after everything that's happened in her life she was home.


End file.
